More than four years and a trilogy of mixtapes after being discovered by Kanye West, Big Sean released his debut album, “Finally Famous,” in June.

Looks like it was worth the wait. The disc, with guest appearances by West, John Legend, Wiz Khalifa, Chiddy Bang, The-Dream and other, topped the rap chart and hit No. 3 on Billboard’s Hot 200.

It also has produced three gold, Top 5 rap and R&B singles: No. 1s “My Last (featuring Chris Brown)” and “Marvin and Chardonnay (featuring Kanye West and Roscoe Dash),” and “Dance (A$$) (featuring Nicki Minaj).” Last week, he performed on MTV’s Spring Break coverage.

The Fairfield, Conn., native spits rhymes about animated characters and being broke, and — of course — about smoking weed. He also has a thug edge to him, saying on his song “Skyline” that “if it ain’t given to me, then I gon’ take it.”

After a series of mix tapes and YouTube videos with views now at about 17 million, it looks like the taking has begun. He’s out touring to support debut disc “There Goes The Neighborhood.”

After winning inspirational music’s Dove Award for Artist of the Year or Group of the Year for the past six years, Casting Crowns put out only a live album, “Until the Whole World Hears … Live,” in 2010, and wasn’t nominated in either category.

Still that disc became the group’s ninth in a row to go gold or platinum. In October, the band released a new studio disc, “Come to the Well,” that topped the Christian chart — its fourth No. 1 in a row — and hit No. 2 on Billboard’s Hot 200. It’s already produced a No. 1 Christian single, “Courageous.”

It might be time to dust off the shelf for another one of those trophies.

With Matthew West and Royal Tailor, 7 p.m. (Doors open at 6), Thursday, March 29, Liacouras Center, 1776 N. Broad St., Philadelphia. Tickets $32-$82 adv., $37-$87 day of show. Group rates start at $19. www.liacourascenter.com, 800-298-4200.

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JOHN J. MOSER has been around long enough to have seen the original Ramones in a small club in New Jersey, U2 from the fourth row of a theater and Bob Dylan's born-again tours. But he also has the number for All-American Rejects' Nick Wheeler on his cell phone, wrote the first story ever done on Jack's Mannequin and hung out in Wiz Khalifa's hotel room.

OTHER CONTRIBUTORS

JODI DUCKETT: As The Morning Call's assistant features editor responsible for entertainment, she spends a lot of time surveying the music landscape and sizing up the Valley's festivals and club scene. She's no expert, but enjoys it all — especially artists who resonated in her younger years, such as Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Tracy Chapman, Santana and Joni Mitchell.

KATHY LAUER-WILLIAMS enjoys all types of music, from roots rock and folk to classical and opera. Music has been a constant backdrop to her life since she first sat on the steps listening to her mother’s Broadway LPs when she was 2. Since becoming a mother herself, she has become well-versed on the growing genre of kindie rock and, with her son in tow, can boast she has seen a majority of the current kid’s performers from Dan Zanes to They Might Be Giants.

STEPHANIE SIGAFOOS: A Jersey native raised in Northeast PA, she was reared in a house littered with 8-tracks, 45s and cassette tapes of The Beatles, Elvis, Meatloaf and Billy Joel. She also grew up on the sounds of Reba McEntire, Garth Brooks and Tim McGraw and can be found traversing the countryside in search of the sounds of a steel guitar. A fan of today's 'new country,' she digs mainstream/country-pop crossovers like Lady Antebellum and Sugarland and other artists that illustrate the genre's diversity.